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North Bay Battalion

Battalion Wins Rematch

January 24, 2020 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


SUDBURY, Ont. - What a difference 24 hours can make in the Ontario Hockey League.

Shane Bulitka and Mason Primeau each scored two goals to power the North Bay Battalion to a 4-2 victory Friday night over the Sudbury Wolves, earning the Troops a split of their home-and-home series while avenging an 8-4 home-ice loss Thursday night.

Primeau broke a 2-2 tie on the power play at 7:41 of the third period. Kyle Jackson made a nifty backhanded pass to Nick Grima, who found Primeau open at the left lip of Sudbury goaltender Christian Purboo's crease.

After each team failed to score on a late man advantage, Purboo left for a sixth skater, and Mitchell Russell moved in on the empty net, centring the puck to Primeau for the clincher at 19:15, his 11th goal of the season.

Goaltender Joe Vrbetic shone in a 38-save performance for North Bay, which moved its won-lost-extended record to 11-31-2 for 24 points, fifth in the Central Division.

Blake Murray scored both goals for Sudbury, 23-21-1 for 47 points atop the division. Purboo allowed three goals on 29 shots before a crowd of 3,106.

For a second straight game, the Wolves were without leading scorer Quinton Byfield, who had flu.

Bulitka struck 30 seconds into the first period after Luke Moncada kept the puck in the zone at the blue line and headed it to Bulitka, alone in the left-wing circle. Brandon Coe had the second assist for his 100th OHL point, including 43 goals, in 170 games.

Vrbetic produced what likely was his best save of the period in the 10th minute when he got across the crease to deny Matej Pekar, who arrived at the right side off a good setup pass.

Vrbetic then made a solid stop against Nolan Hutcheson at 5:34 of the second period as he outraced pursuing defenders and barreled into the crease, ultimately crashing into the end boards.

Paul Christopoulos fought Sudbury's Ethan Larmand at 9:57, with each receiving a major and Larmand handed a roughing minor as well.

Murray connected at 11:59, just after the Battalion power play ended, off a two-on-one rush with Hutcheson against Jackson. Hutcheson had the lone assist as he passed the puck to Murray on the left side.

Bulitka gave the Battalion a 2-1 lead at 19:55 with the teams skating four a side. Moncada stripped Adam Samuelsson of the puck at the blue line along the left boards, darted into the faceoff circle and fed Bulitka, who beat Purboo from the goalmouth. It was the 18th goal for Bulitka and his second in six games since joining the Troops in a Jan. 9 trade that saw Brad Chenier go the other way in a swap of captains.

Murray tied it again on the power play at 1:15 of the third period after the expiration of a two-man advantage lasting 41 seconds. David Levin got the puck back to Murray in the right circle for his 21st goal.

The Battalion plays host to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds at 1 p.m. Sunday as part of YourTV's Hockey Day in the OHL.

BATTALION BULLETS: The game was to be televised in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700 with Eastlink providing the feed, but that was unavailable because of a control-room issue ... It was the sixth of eight games between the teams, with the Battalion holding a record of 2-4-0. The first North Bay win was a 5-3 home-ice decision Dec. 31. The next meeting is Feb. 26 at Memorial Gardens ... Coe has a five-game points streak in which he has two goals and three assists for five points. In six games against Sudbury, Coe has three goals and three assists for six points ... Each team went 1-for-6 on the power play ... Opening lines included Moncada centring Bulitka on left wing and right winger Coe, Primeau pivoting left winger Jackson and right winger Russell and Josh Currie centring left winger Harrison Caines and right winger Chad Denault. Christian Stevens centred left winger David Campbell and right winger Alex Christopoulos ... The Battalion was without James Mayotte, Ryan Thompson and Liam Arnsby ... Caines played his 100th game since being chosen in the ninth round of the 2017 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Titans minor midgets. He has 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 career points ... In six games against North Bay, Levin has three goals and eight assists for 11 points ... The referees were Ryan Jenken and Anthony Tapper.

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